GeeDee's Zulu Wars Rorke's Drift Diorama
About the Diorama
My Lego Rorke’s Drift Diorama MOC is a very small and basic depiction of the Battle of Rorke’s Drift, which was an engagement in the Anglo-Zulu War in South Africa on the 22nd January 1879.
The Diorama is not to scale and certainly not accurate but was fun to build with a few Easter Eggs included. As Lego has never had any Zulu War based themes, I had to source many of the Custom Minifigures and Bricks from other sources.
The Diorama was constructed to be portable, and under the constraints of Limited Funds and the requirement that if had to fit on a 850mm X 850mm folding table.
There are some Excellent examples of the Battle on YouTube (including some stop motion), and the Battle is Excellently Portrayed in the 1964 Film’ Zulu’. The earlier Battle of Isandlwana is also excellently Portrayed in the 1979 Film ‘Zulu Dawn’.
My interest in these Battles began as a study of Zulu Weaponry and then the History of South Africa. I have also produced a 112 Slide Power Point Presentation which covers the Anglo-Zulu Wars, the rise of the Zulus, and the History of South Africa up to and including the Boer Wars. Also, this is battle in which one has to have a great respect for and admire the courage of both the British AND the Zulus. The Zulus were fighting to protect their land and the British were fighting just to stay alive.
My collection also consists of an Anglo-Zulu War Chess set, a W.Britain’s ‘Band of the 24th Foot, and a W. Britain’s Rorke’s Drift Storehouse Diorama.​​​
About the Battle
The Battle of Rorke’s Drift in Brief – Note that the numbers are Approx Only
The battle is a famous engagement in the South Africa Anglo-Zulu Wars in which 150 British and Colonial troops (which included about 35 sick/wounded in hospital) successfully defended the Rorke’s Drift Mission Station against 4,000 Zulus. Just prior to this battle, a force of 24,000 Zulus had annihilated 1,300 British troops in the Battle of Isandlwana which was and still is the worst ever defeat of a modern British Army by an indigenous foe equipped with vastly inferior military technology (basically spear/shield against state of the art Rifle/Canon). The 4,000 Zulus who attacked Rorke’s Drift had not participated in the Battle of Isandlwana as they were the Zulu loin (reserve) and although commanded not too, travelled ten kilometres to the Drift to get some recognition by attacking the small British Hospital/Store establishment at the Drift. The Drift was once a trading post and then a Missionary run by Swedish Reverend Otto Witt and family but was now a Supply Depot and Makeshift Hospital, and temporary camp for the British Army. At the time of the Battle, the Drift was under the Command of Lt: John Chard of the Royal Engineers (who was just there to build a Bridge across the nearby Buffalo (Mzinyathi)) river, and Lt: Gonville Bromhead of the 24th Regiment of Foot.
Eleven Victoria Crosses (VC) were awarded to individual defenders, along with Four Distinguished Conduct Medals (DCM), and Minifigures representing the recipients are included in the Diorama. The Rorke’s Drift Battle is in stark contrast to the embarrassing disastrous British defeat at Isandlwana.
Click on the Picture below for the Video
Some Pictures of GeeDee's Rorke's Drift Diorama
Some Award Recipients 1
Some Award Recipients 2
Some Award Recipients 3
Battle Side View
My Britain's Rorke's Drift Storehouse
My Zulu War Collection (With Deactivated Firearms)